EXPLORAVISION STUDENT INVENTORS PRESENT AWARD-WINNING FUTURE TECHNOLOGY CONCEPTS AT WASHINGTON, D.C. SCIENCE SHOWCASE

Young Inventors Honored in Washington. Science & Technology Program for K-12 grades.

For Immediate Release      
Contact:   
Sharron Silvers
Dobbin/Bolgla Associates
(212) 388-1400
E-mail: ssilvers@dba-pr.com

Carla Daniels
National Science Teachers Association
(703) 312-9371
E-mail:   carla.daniels@nsta.org

EXPLORAVISION STUDENT INVENTORS PRESENT AWARD-WINNING FUTURE TECHNOLOGY CONCEPTS AT WASHINGTON D.C. SCIENCE SHOWCASE

-- Mayors Office Declares Friday June 14th ExploraVision Science and Technology Day" --

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 14, 2002 – The future will be on display at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. at 1:00 PM today, when the student winners of the 2002 Toshiba/National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) ExploraVision Awards program, one of the worlds largest K-12 student science and technology competitions, present their bold, imaginative ideas for future technologies at a special science showcase/press conference. Using prototype models and websites, students in each of this years eight top ExploraVision teams will share their prize-winning ideas with a gathering of high-level Toshiba and NSTA executives, members of the media, parents and teachers. (Students will also be available for individual interviews about their projects.) The eight winning ExploraVision teams from grades K-12 were selected from nearly 4,000 teams, representing more than 12,000 students from public, private, parochial, and home schools in the U.S. and Canada.

The science showcase/press conference is part of a weekend celebration commemorating the tenth anniversary of the ExploraVision program, which has enjoyed the participation of nearly 200,000 students since its inception. (See attached list of winners.) In honor of ExploraVision, the office of Mayor Anthony A. Williams has declared June 14th ExploraVision Science and Technology Day."
What Will The Future Look Like?

Each ExploraVision team selected an existing technology and envisioned what it might be like in the year 2022. According to some of these forward-thinking students, people in the not-too-distant future will benefit from advancements such as super-fast computers that use starfish lenses as optical circuits, a pill that literally starves away malignant tumors, and genetically enhanced plants that clean pollution out of soil. One team of third-graders will present the Bath Butler" that automatically recognizes you and fills your bath with hot, recycled water at the temperature and level you prefer!
The students will be presented with their awards at a gala banquet later in the evening.

The Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards program, funded by the Toshiba Corporation, the Toshiba America Group Companies, and the Toshiba America Foundation and administered by the National Science Teachers Association, is open to all K-12 US and Canadian students who are citizens or
legal residents.    
Deadline to submit entries for the 2003 ExploraVision competition is February 2003. For more information or an application, call 1-800-EXPLOR-9, or e-mail exploravision@nsta.org. Information is also available on the World Wide Web at www.toshiba.com.

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2002 Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision National Winners

First Place Winners   

Grades K-3: The Bath Butler
Holmes Elementary School: San Diego, CA

Bath Butler
Glance in the mirror and your safe, soft-sided bathtub will automatically recognize you and rapidly fill with clean, hot, recycled water at the temperature and level you prefer. Personalized air showers dry you.
      
Grades 4-6:   Nano Snippit-Bot      
Quarry Lane School: Dublin, CA   

Nano-Snippit-Bot - NSB
This treatment eliminates the need for brain tumor surgery. Instead, patients take pills with NSBs that cut off vessels that supply blood to the tumor, causing the tumor to shrink and die and preventing the growth of new blood vessels.                  
Grades 7-9:   K.O.T. Kidneys of Tomorrow   
Merion Mercy Academy: Merion Station, PA   

KOT (Kidneys of Tomorrow)
To treat patients suffering from kidney failure, an artificial kidney is made from the patients own cells thereby lowering the risks of rejection. The kidney is grown outside the patients body and later transplanted into the patient.                   
Grades 10-12: The Bright New Future of Circuitry
Jericho High School: Jericho, NY

The Bright New Future of Circuitry: A Focus on Brittle Starfish Microlenses to Improve Optical Computing
Optical circuitry--up to 100,000 times faster than todays electrical circuits--represents the future of computing. Research of the brittle starfish lenses, superior to any manufactured lenses, may prove instrumental in the development of optical circuitry that can process larger amounts of data in a fraction of the time it takes today.

Second Place Winners

Grades K-3:   Animal Detector Belt
Cape Henry Collegiate School: Virginia Beach, VA

Animal Detector Belt
This special belt uses e-nose sensor and computer technology to detect and warn the user about the presence of dangerous animals. Hikers are protected from potential animal attacks.

Grades 4-6:   Patient Comfort System
Home school: Decatur, GA

Patient Comfort System (PCS): Raising Expectations for Painless Transport
Hospital patients are transferred and transported painlessly on nonmetallic pads that use super conductive magnet technology to float" easily from place to place. This system protects patients from the discomfort of traditional patient transport.

Grades 7-9:   The Piezo-Sensory Arm
Zion Heights Junior High School: Toronto, Canada

The Piezo-Sensory Arm
This advanced prosthetic arm harnesses the piezoelectric effect to provide the user with comfort, a wide range of feelings, and good mobility. The ability to hold objects and perform delicate work is greatly enhanced.

Grades 10-12: Phytorejeuvenators
Lake Braddock Secondary School: Burke, VA

Phytorejuvenators: The Next Generation of Phytoremediation
Genetically engineered green plants will extract pollutants from soils, as well as undiscovered fossil fuels and gold and silver metals. Pollutants will be transformed into benign, useful substances; biodegradable materials will be generated from renewable sources.